"Big Pimpin'" Up in Court

Remember the 1999 Jay-Z hit "Big Pimpin'"? You probably read the first line of this blog and instantly recalled the flute melody that plays throughout this song, intertwined nicely with Jay's rapping. That song is old news, though, right? Nope, it's back. Jay-Z is set to battle it out in a jury trial in LA starting on October 13 over a copyright issue with the heir of an Egyptian musician. Jay's producer, Timbaland, claims he found the flute sample on a CD with no credits and therefore it was available as part of the public domain of music. However, Baligh Hamdy, an Egyptian musician who died in 1993, originally cut the flute score for an Egyptian movie in 1957. When Jay learned this he paid EMI Arabia $100k who shared this money with Hamdy's family. Hamdy's nephew now brings suit against Jay claiming that this deal was not legal under Egyptian law.

Curiously, the Queen B, (Beyonce Knowles-Jay-Z's wife) is also under fire for the high-pitched, exotic voice opening in her song, "Drunk in Love." Beyonce is being sued by a Hungarian artist named Mitsou who claims the Queen B stole her music.

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